1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a connector provided with a measure for preventing wrong insertion of a terminal fitting. An example of such connector is disclosed in JP-A-2007-026756. In the connector, the terminal fitting is inserted into a cavity in a housing. A stabilizer is formed on an outer circumference of a square tube portion of the terminal fitting so as to protrude like a plate in a direction crossing an insertion direction of the terminal fitting. A first groove corresponding to the stabilizer is formed in an inner wall of the cavity.
When the terminal fitting is intended to be inserted in a regular posture, the stabilizer enters the first groove. Thus, the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity without trouble. On the other hand, when the terminal fitting is intended to be inserted into the cavity in an irregular posture in which the terminal fitting is tilted around an axis parallel to the insertion direction, the stabilizer interferes with an opening edge portion of the cavity. Thus, the terminal fitting is prevented from being inserted in the irregular posture.
In recent years, there has been a request to reduce the size of terminal fittings. When the size of the terminal fitting is reduced, the protruding distance of a stabilizer is also reduced correspondingly. On the other hand, a clearance to backup a smooth insertion operation of the terminal fitting must be secured between an outer surface of the terminal fitting and an inner surface of a cavity. However, manufacturing cost is increased due to high dimensional precision required to narrow the clearance. Therefore, the clearance has to be secured to some extent in spite of the advanced miniaturization of the terminal fitting.
Thus, the protruding distance of the stabilizer which has been miniaturized with the miniaturization of the terminal fitting substantially becomes as large as the clearance. As a result, the wrong insertion preventing function of the stabilizer may not be effectively exerted although the posture of the terminal fitting is irregular so that the terminal fitting in the irregular posture is allowed to be inserted as it is.